Four Remarkable Emerging Black Artists Transform The Knickerbocker Hotel St. Cloud Rooftop…

We gaze into the pensive eyes of a young Jean-Michel Basquiat, engaging with the childhood innocence that persisted even as the prolific master’s life and career were cut short at age 27. Mustard seed replicates the texture of the Puerto Rican/Haitian-American artist’s hair. His flesh is represented by a camouflage of hues that signal his lifelong need for protection and hint at his collaborations with Andy Warhol. A halo of gold leaf places him in the pantheon of the art world’s great saints. Or, as my writer-husband put it: “an icon of an icon.”

At 31, Brooklyn-based visual artist Sophia Victor demonstrates sophisticated and elegant fluidity across techniques and mediums to create a captivating portrait that amplifies and celebrates Black youth. Victor’s Young Basquiat (2022) is among works by four Black artists from New York represented by The Bishop Gallery in Brooklyn on view at The Knickerbocker Hotel, managed by Highgate, until April 30. Young, Gifted and IcoKnick is the first curated The IcoKnick Series, a rotating art gallery showcasing work by emerging and established artists in the New York City area. Launching the series with a contemporary art gallery committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity coincides with Black History Month.

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“This is a really dope show. I love unconventional spaces. I’ve had the privilege of working with so many dope people, most of them living history, like the Exonerated Five*. I still work closely with elders from the Black Panther (Party), the Black Liberation (Army),” said Victor. “I’m very interested in Black innocence. I’m also interested in the potential of a black youth as the mother of a 13-year-old.”

Victor’s multidisciplinary practice spans portraiture, performance, public art, and video, seeking to expose the narratives and experiences of people who individually and collectively face injustice. She aims to humanize social justice and to prevent future suffering. Her subjects span everyday people, the famous, and the falsely infamous.

A professor, activist, and woman of faith, with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the School of Visual Arts (SVA), a master’s degree in visual arts administration from New York University, and recent participation in the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study program, Victor teaches at SVA and facilitates art workshops at Rikers Island (the infamous jail complex) through Artistic Noise, a Harlem-based nonprofit organization. She also mentors young adults during incarceration and after release.

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As we uncover the multitudinous facets of Basquiat’s personality as conveyed through Victor’s use of a wide array of techniques and materials, we encounter the complex layering of Ronald Draper’s large-scale multi-media works that also function as personal journals.

Draper’s vibrant works, which masterfully mingle playful shades of lavender and green, convey an emotional abstract expressionist landscape as myriad lines guide our eye.

“As I was doing layer by layer to make sure each layer is honored the way it should be, I took a journal entry of what I felt that day, what I was going through, because no matter what we think, we never remember anything,” Draper explained. “I just remember that layer. I don’t remember half of this problem. But luckily I wrote it down so I can go back to how I felt that day, and how I felt free was a very unique expression. So when I share it with you, I can say this is exactly how I felt, not necessarily a summary, but here’s exactly what I felt.”

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We stay on the emotional expressive journey as we turn our gaze to Black-queer-religious-cancer survivor-DJ-philanthropist-contemporary artist Quiana Parks’ Manor Section. The mixed media on paper work emits warm energy as we sense the bond of the embracing subjects.

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We wander into the Surreal, navigating a grand staircase as plants sprout from windows and ceilings, and golden statues pose around an enormous clock face that doubles as a target. Tramel Blount’s Thee Grand Foyer immediately drew to my mind Dorothea Tanning’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1943).

“Our gallery continues to support emerging and established artists while making their work more accessible to the community. Partnering with The Knickerbocker for the Young, Gifted, and IcoKnick exhibition allows us to holistically fulfill our mission,” said Stevenson Dunn Jr., co-owner of The Bishop Gallery. “Excited innovative artists need exciting innovative places to exhibit their artwork and partners willing to promote their art. The Bishop Gallery and The Knickerbocker’s collaboration provide both these needed resources to four diverse artists from New York City during Black History Month.”

The IcoKnick Series exhibition transforms The Club Room on the hotel’s airy and chic St. Cloud Rooftop, making it a must-see for New Yorkers and visitors. Enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail as you explore four singular artistic voices who speak to the future of art history.

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“The gallery’s mission to support and elevate the work of local artists aligns perfectly with our own,” said Laila DeMesme, director of sales and marketing at The Knickerbocker. “This is a wonderful opportunity to not only honor the contributions of different communities within the city, recognizing their unique history and contributions to the world of art, but to also add a new dimension to the hotel experience for our guests and visitors.”

*_{Five teens from Harlem—Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise—were tried and wrongly convicted in the April 19, 1989, rape and killing of a woman who became known as the “Central Park jogger.” Their convictions were vacated on December 19, 2002.}